Nandigram crisis is a sponsored terrorism: Dasmunsi

New Delhi, Nov 13: Taking strong exception to Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi's statement terming the violence in Nandigram as" state sponsored terrorism,'' the CPI(M) today accused him of" aiding and abetting" the Trinamool Congress which took the help of the Maoists in creating a" disturbing and abnormal" situation there during the last 11 months.

"That Mr Dasmunsi is a Union Minister makes this assertion all the more shocking," CPI(M) Parliamentary leaders- Sitaram Yechury and Basudeb Acharia- said in a joint statement.

The CPI(M) Floor leaders' strong reaction came a day after the Minister expressed deep shock on the continuing violence at Nandigram terming its "state-sponsored terrorism" and charged the West Bengal government with not using Central security forces to control the volatile situation.

The Marxist leaders said normally one could ignore these rantings of Mr Dasmunsi as coming from a person whose role in Marxist baiting was well known since the days of the semi-fascist terror in West Bengal." But it is a serious matter when a Minister in the Union Cabinet behaves in such a manner." The Left party alleged that when the police sought to intervene and restore communications on March 14,2007, the Minister was vocal in condemning the police.

" Now when the state government requested the Centre to send a battalion of the CRPF, Mr Dasmunsi made a public statement opposing the sending of the para military forces to Nandigram. He must, therefore, be accountable for the delay in sending the CRPF to Nandigram which would have helped in tackling the situation earlier.

It is the height of hypocrisy for Mr Dasmunsi to now complain that the CRPF is being prevented from moving into Nandigram," the Left leaders said.

As a Union Minister, Mr Dasmunsi was well aware of the role of the Maoists armed squads in Nandigram. By the stance he had adopted throughout, he had only aided and abetted the nefarious activities of such armed squads whose ultimate aim was to destabilise the Left government, Mr Yechury and Mr Acharia added.

UNI